Freedom
by Sypherlocked
Summary: Eren is given a chance of freedom, but is it worth it? Will he be defeated or risk it all to free humanity from those cursed walls?
1. Chapter 1

THIS FIC HAS A COMPLETLY ALTERED UNIVERSE. LIKE LITTERELY ALTERED SPACE AND PHYSICS AND SHIT SO JUST GO WITH IT.

Those titans in the walls had caused eve more madness in the minds of the people. As if they weren't freaking out enough about wall Maria being recently breached, now there are fucking titans in the walls.

This can only end badly, but all of these people's thoughts, worries and fears were behind him. All Eren wanted to know right now was why? It didn't even bother him that much that Stonehess had been nearly obliterated (the rich pompous cunts could go die for all he cared). It was the idea that someone he had idealised, someone he looked up to had turned out to be...well not a titan, and not a human but actually more like him then he ever even realised. She was more like him than anybody else in the world.

He took another sip of his water skin and continued to try to catch his breath in the very rare free time they got from training. Captain Levi had been running them through courses and training regime's that only the gods could complete( with the exception of captain Levi) who had completed it by the time Eren and the rest of them had gotten half way round. Jean was on the ground near Eren heaving and complaining about the lack of feeling in his legs but it couldn't really be understood as it came out as a breathless grumble. Armin was on the floor next to him gasping for air as well. Armin had made a rather brutal self-assessment that he was too weak, physically at least, so he began to train harder and gave himself extra workouts. Needless to say it had paid off for him, he seemed stronger and more in shape.

"Oi!"

That single syllable was enough to have them all up and to attention in a second "Yes captain!"

"Your dismissed for the day, now go clean your bratty asses up"

The communal showers weren't the greatest things in the world due to the lack of privacy. But still so needed, the warm water was such a relief to their aching muscles and sore bones. They usually got showers every morning and every night but they were so much more worth it after a long day's hard work. It helped relive his headache that had been bothering him for days now. Ever since he had had a nightmare about a village being burnt to the ground while titans swarmed the place. Devouring crushing and killing everyone. The streets had ran red in crimson gore and the village. After it was all over the village was no more than a black stain of charcoal left on the earth. It was very similar to Shiganshina. The dream ended with him being stuck under some rubble while a woman was carried of by titans and a voice screaming at him to become what he needs to be. Just like when he transformed in Stonehess.

"Eren, you coming out or what? Captain Levi will want the barracks cleaned out before any one of us gets to sleep" called Connie.

He hadn't even realised that everyone had left the showers to go and clean the castle. "I'll be out in a minute Connie, but I'm on guard duty today" He replied.

Guard duty was one of the best and worst posts. This was due to three reasons:

Reason 1) He was alone so he could think, but thinking led to thoughts about titans.

Reason 2) He was in a room with Annie, who he believed after everything she did, was still a good person and exceptionally beautiful. On the other hand she had betrayed humanity and killed many members of the scouting legion.

Reason 3) He was in the dungeon, literally the coldest place in the castle. And the crystal Annie was in always seemed to give off an un-earthly chill that could freeze your breath. But on hot stuffy days, like today, this could be extremely comforting.

After pulling on a fresh uniform and tightening his straps, he walked down the many twisting and winding staircases, covered in moss and slime, bathed in a dim light that emanated from nearby torches. As he wandered toward the gateway that contained the dark place where she was held, he pondered her reasoning's for everything, as he often did. Questioning why everything turned out how it did. He thought of ways to break her from that ethereal prison of icy diamond. The deeper he got, the more distracted and enticed in thought he became, almost like there was somebody in his mind, talking to him, telling him to free her, causing him to shake these thoughts away to try and rid himself of the headache that had been building all day.

Eventually after travelling down into the bowels of the earth he reached the iron door at the end of a particularly dark hallway, where his breath became visible and he pulled his cloak a little tighter and prepared himself for a long few hours of barely tolerable chill that would pour from the crystal and fester in his bones. He took the gun from the guard as he walked in and then stood next to the blue structure as it shimmered in the light of the candles resting on the desk across the room. As his eyes gazed around the room, the amber light of the candles was refracted by the crystalline structure, splitting the beams of light and covering the stone floor in a strange mix of teal and amber light. It was like bright flames were battling against an icy onslaught.

Today seemed like it would be a good day, his mind was clear and he was content (as could be) for now. To pass the time he would always try to think of ways to get into that crystal. But with each possibility came three new questions. It was a fascinating material though. Hange had been working tirelessly and remorselessly to try to get the crystal to open up. Her whole existence now revolved around Annie's crystal and the titan in the wall. Her obsession was admirable and quite terrifying all at the same time. Not once though had she managed to even crack the crystal, or even so much as make a tiny little scratch. Armin had been working extremely close with Hange to create formulas and methods to crack the damned crystal, but nothing worked, it simply would not yield to anything that the mad scientist subjected it to. Nobody could figure it out, and this just encouraged Hange to try even harder, despite the infuriating results.

The aura of the room was different today however. The room wasn't as cold as usual, nor was it as damp and uncomfortable. Instead there was a pleasant warm light that emanated from the candles and the air was more akin to warm summer morning. His gaze wandered to the roof which shone and glimmered like a pool of water as the light bounced off of the majestic blue prison. Then his gaze turned back to the girl in the crystal. His teacher, his friend, comrade, his enemy and once again his mind wandered into deeper thoughts regarding the petit blonde girl in front of him.

He barely remembered the fight, apparently he had turned into a monster. He remembered a voice screaming from inside him, his anger was talking to him. It was like he became something else, he blacked out and was simply along for the ride as a much darker force came into control and all the evil thoughts that he possessed decided to take over. Ripping her to shreds before trying to eat her. But he couldn't remember it, all he could remember was the tears rolling down her face as she crystallised over and that whispering voice that rattled through his mind like the roar of a truly epic explosion, but it was only a whisper. He could still see the tears now, forever stuck in her glass confinement.

And he would do anything to wipe them away and tell her he was sorry for hurting her. He wished he could shake her and scream 'Why?' but it was pointless, she was hidden within the shell and content to hide from the world. All while the world passed her by for the past 3 months, the dungeon forever silent, never a single sound other than the rapping and tapping of military boots on floor as a guard would enter and exit the cold stone brick room. Not even the faintest sound of dripping on the floor…

His attention suddenly peaked at the notion of that dripping noise but he was ultimately distracted by the booming explosion that he felt rattle the very foundations of the castle the scouting legion were using for a headquarters. He KNEW that sound, a shifter, the sound of lightning striking somebody and their body conducting all of that raw energy, his feet carried him toward the surface instinctively, leaving behind the growing pool underneath that turquoise crystal that enticed him so much…


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

SHORT, AND IM SORRY BUT ILL MAKE IT UP TO YOU.

Eren didn't even think. He just ran as fast as he could out of the room and up the flights and flights of stairs. He knew they would return, but was never sure when. He had to get there, had to be there, he HAD to kill them. The impulse came back and he couldn't hold out as he sped up his sprint, becoming for frantic the closer he got to the surface, until he came to the metal cage door at the top. He unlocked the bars and bolted onto the courtyard. Then he saw it. The smouldering pile of rock and wood. Atop the walls. Where the armoured Titan stood looking down upon the castle below and behind him was Berholdt. The colossal Titan. Looming over all the land, the skinless face so prominent against the bright blue sky. The menacing sight was not a pleasant one, and Eren was not pleased, he wanted them DEAD.

In seconds he was atop a horse and riding as fast and hard as he could toward the walls, hell bent upon enacting revenge upon the two beings at fault for his mother's horrific demise. That headache building like a bomb, ready to explode, building pressure inside his head, leaving his mind in pure agony. It was like a menacing hiss that just would not dissipate.

As he closed in towards the great wall he brought his feet onto the saddle, poised and taught, ready to enact revenge. Utilising his training to kill them both. He waited until he was close enough before jumped off firing his 3D gear into the wall. And launching himself up the wall as fast as the gear could take him, drawing him closer and closer to the top. Drawing his blades as he got closer to the top. Suddenly the armoured Titans head leaned over the wall gazing right at him, its hand sweeping at him in an attempt to grab a hold of him. He detached his wires from the wall and stopped the gas. Firing a cable further to the left, far away from Reiner hoping to swing under its hand and around to his nape.

He looked below him and tried to find a gap in the titans armour over its nape. But there was nothing. Not a gap. The bastard didn't have one weak place on his neck. His attention turned to the Titan that was standing on the other side of the wall. He could hear the whizzing of the scouting legion. But he couldn't wait, he had to attack them. He launched a wire at the titan's eye and span round the head attempting to take his nape. But was swatted away by his hand and sent flying through the air. He was sent gliding through the air along the wall, spiralling rapidly in a nauseating manor.

Time slowed as he went through the air. The reality of his situation setting in. He could see Capitan Levi coming over the wall. His blades had been thrown and had lodged themselves in the armoured titan's eyes. Mikasa behind him. Spinning in the air. Like a ballerina, moving so effortlessly through the air, but the two swords in her hands made the beautiful movements seem so menacing and the way the sunlight caught the steel blades was tantalising as she was moving to strike the colossal Titan.

He knew his other comrades would be just about to come into view. But all that went through his mind was the rage and frustration of his weakness. Why couldn't he kill them? Why couldn't he defeat them? He could never face up to them in his human form. But up here against two of them. He couldn't win. The odds weren't in his favour. He had to turn. But he couldn't win against the armoured and the colossal titans.

_Killllllll_

But what else could he do but fight.

_Killllllll_

Fight with everything and to the bitter end.

_Kiiilllllllllllll_

He gave in, not out of choice, but like a necessity, he let the thoughts take over and he bit down on his finger as hard as he could. Biting the digit off in the process as he felt bone and sinew melt and combine. Everything seemed to sear his body, it hurt so badly, and his mind ached, as the whispering voice became louder and louder, still a whisper that came across like a faint breeze, but was heard so loud it was like the deepest battle drums. He grinned as the voice inside his head said

_We'll kill them all..._


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

His colossal fist went into the wall as he flew through the air. Stopping him in his tracks, the flesh was torn and ruined by the wall which now had a considerable hole running across the top of it. He looked up to see his friends fighting the two titans. But they couldn't win, the armoured Titan couldn't be cut and the colossal had just slapped them away whenever they got close. He stood up and clenched his fists in fury and letting out a roar that froze everybody. They all looked at him as his eyes narrowed.

The armoured Titan stood up and began to run at Eren as Eren ran at him. Their feet shook the wall while they ran their collision course towards each other. Reiner began to raise his fists to strike Eren, but he just continued to run toward him. Never showing fear or restraint. Everyone froze and stared at the two titans charging at each other. Waiting for the collision. Waiting for flesh to meet metal.

Eren had a plan to take them on. If this plan didn't succeed, then he was fucked. He just needed to separate the two. As he closed in on the armoured Titan. His vision changed to the colossal. Eren sprung off of the wall and tackled the colossal titans head. Causing him to stumble and begin to topple backward. Eren then brought fist after fist into his face hammering the titans head and skull in. The bridge of the titan's nose was nothing more than a mushy mess of gore and steam when he was finished.

They fell for what felt an age. Before smashing into the ground with a thundering boom that shook the earth. The bones cracking could be heard from atop the wall that would make the hardest of soldiers cringe. Reneir watched as Bert has lying limply on the ground, being hammered to pieces. He had probably been knocked out in his Titan.

Mikasa watched in terror as Eren tackled Bert off the wall and pummelled his head in. She turned to look at the armoured Titan. He was just staring down the wall at the scene below. Completely unable to help him. He would have to jump off to help. But that wall was...

He jumped off the wall. His armour surely couldn't handle that. Just like he had read her mind he punched his fist into one pillar of the wall to slow his decent before launching himself off the wall toward Eren.

Reneir tackled Eren off of Bert and they both collided on the ground. Eren rose first, studying the gash at his shoulder where Reneir had hit him, it was deep and would most likely take a long time to heal. The other Titan rose and studied his armour which was cracks at its ribs and arms, small shards crumbled and fell off when he rolled his shoulder. But other than that. It was all intact and functional.

They both sized each other up, staring, slowly circling, eyes never moving from one another. The dance of death as it was known had commenced and they were both careful while circling the moved first, lunging forward with a fist directed at Reneir's face. But he barely made a scratch on him. Instead his fist split and disintegrated when it came in contact with his armoured jaw, the knuckles shattered and useless.

He brought the opposite fist up toward his head again but with a similar result. His opponent stumbled back a little but his hand had been obliterated against the plate on his jaw. Then his opponent began his attack. Charging at Eren and driving his armoured knee into Eren's ribs. The next blow was an elbow to his still healing shoulder. Then another knee straight to Eren's face. A punch. A kick. A knee. An elbow. Head-butt's. Knees. Fists. They all came into Eren's face. Until his head was nothing but a smouldering skull with an eye hanging out of its socket. Reneir walked toward Bert's unconscious form and kicked its nape in an attempt to wake him up without much luck. All while Eren just stared on, resting at the bottom of the wall. Mikasa was above screaming about trying to help but he heard faint commands for her to stay put. But all he could really hear was the voice whispering about his insufferable weakness. About how he was pathetic.

_WWEEAAAKKKKKK_

The voice hissed like a snake. Calling him out. Daring him to attack. But all he could do was lie down and heal. Feel the pain and the frustration. The burning and smouldering flesh knitting back together, searing deep into the giant avatars nerves, resonating through Eren's small human body, tormenting him. Daring him to move. Motivating him.

_FFIIIGGGHHHHTTTTT_

He could feel his temperature increase as he shook. His hands becoming solid again. His eyes slowly pulling back to its socket with a satisfying pop, the white of the eye slowly retreating as it was replaced by black, the kind of black that seems endless and infinite, so terrifying that you would be reminded of your tiny insignificance at its vast expanses of nothing. Black tar leaked out of his eyes, everywhere that was once damaged slowly leaked black tar that rolled down his face, it looked akin to a black snakes scales reflecting sunlight like it was alive. The skin reattaching and knitting back together. He rose to his feet trying to think about how to beat him. His armour was impenetrable and he was much stronger than Eren.

_SSSHHHHEEEEEEE KKKNNNOOOWWWWSSSSSS_

He thought back to the days of training, sparring with Annie, all of those throws, kicks, counters. Maybe all that time spent with her wasn't for naught after all.

Slowly, he stood up and began rolling his shoulders and neck, loosening off the strained muscles, taking in his surroundings and noting that Reiner's back was turned to him and that he was close to the wall. His plate armour around his arms and ribs were still cracked, exposing the soft and vulnerable flesh below. He remembered how Annie would use somebodies weight against them to beat them, and that's how he would beat Reiner.

Eren felt that pressure in the back of his head expand, that hissing voice whispering

_KILLKILLKILLKILL_

Louder and louder it grew until he could take it no more, he let out a primal scream unlike anything he had ever done. It was unearthly and the whole world seemed to stop and shiver in fear like an ancient evil had just been set free. The bellow must have travelled for miles around, asserting its dominance over all of the lands around. Letting the world know; it was here and it WAS to be feared.

Slowly, Reiner turned to meet his gaze, the eternal black pits of Eren's eyes meeting the stoic and stony face of the lumbering brute. Eren's response was to simply raise his fists in the same fashion he has been taught by the small blonde girl all that time ago, challenging the armour plated titan to another fight.

His challenge was met with a his opponent planting his feet before setting off into a sprint, charging forward, head on at the freshly recovered titan. Eren never mover, his black eyes looking possessed as he waited for the correct moment to pounce upon the unsuspecting prey.

Reiner rose his massive fist and prepared to pummel it into the black eyed face and immobilise him once more, but as his punch approached its target, it was caught between two arms. His body moved forward, but the arm stayed locked in place before being twisted at an un-natural angle, causing the bones to lock up. Eren then twisted very suddenly and threw Reiner towards the wall, his arm making an audible cracking noise, eliciting a scream of agony from the stockier of the two before he hit the wall with a deafening crushing sound.

Back within that deepest of pits below the surface, where a prison door was left ajar, a small cracking noise could be heard, becoming more and more frequent until one very prominent crack resonated across the stone walls and from within the dark chamber. Followed by the thud of what appeared to be something very heavy and the laboured breath of a young woman.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I'm just going to say that I have imagined that the scouts have relocated to a bigger castle right by a wall (for easier access to a gate for scouting mission)

She hit the floor with a thud, every fibre of her body was stiff and sore. Her brain felt like it was on fire, melting inside of her. Everything was fuzzy and blurry and the whole world was spinning around making her feel nauseous. What was going on? She placed her hands onto the ground in a feeble attempt to get up off the ground. Where was she?

Her arms gave out under her and she hit the ground, the room slowly stopped spinning. Her eyes began to focus on the wall in front of her eyes. She then realised that she was in a large stone walled room, it looked like a mix between a prison cell and an office. The desk scattered with papers, the chains and heavy set reinforced door were evidence of this.

She placed her hand on the ground and propped herself up against the wall behind her. Why was she ...oh she had failed, been caught. So she was probably captured, to be executed for her crimes against humanity. Unless she could escape, but she'd have to capture Eren. Eren 'the mad titan' Jaeger, the one had popped open her head, sworn to kill all titans in a murderous rampage. That name brought her to shivers, he was a monster through and through. He'd been beaten and ripped apart, yet still he had fought. He had laughed like a psycho and then charged into a fight regardless of the odds, living up to his nickname 'suicidal bastard'. He'd crushed her face. Torn her apart. Tried to eat her. His eyes has been filled with pure hatred and glee while he had done it, only, they weren't 'his' eyes like they should have been. They were black, like a thick oil, an evil thing.

He had terrified her, but he was her key to going home. She just needed to take him. If she returned without him then she would be a failure. She would have failed the cause, then what's the point. She would have to take him, fight him, and defeat him. She did it once but she could not do it again. Not right now anyway, he would never stop, never let her take him and even more so now that he had training and practice. How long had it even been? A week? A month? Years? Firstly though. She would need to get out of the...room. The door was slowly swinging wide open, who was stupid enough to leave the door open?

They continued trading brutal hits, punching and tearing each other apart. Reiner's ribs were exposed and cracked. Eren's overall body was worse off though, bones stuck out of his skin. Sinew and muscle was ripped to shreds, nothing more than meat dangling off of the bone. Eren's whole form was steaming, he could almost be producing clouds. Another fist flew into Eren's face, this time it cracked the top of his eye socket.

The bone splintered off and dug into his eyeball, removing his vision from one eye. The searing burning from the steam seared his real skin on the inside. Burning. Marking.

_Kill_

_Kill_

_Kill_

_Kill_

_Kill_

_Kill_

_Kill_

He had to beat him, he had to. Rip his throat out. Tear his arms off and beat him across his head. Gut him with his bare hands. Obliterate him, remove his existence from the world.

_KKKKIIIILLLLLLLLL_

_KILL_

_KILL_

_KILL_

_KILL_

_KILL_

_FUCKING KILL HHIIIMMMMMMMMM!_

His broken and brittle body straightened up but was met with a huge armour plated knee to the face. Again he tried to throw his weight, but he simply used his elbow to pummel the back of his skull before kicking him to his back and placing a solid foot up against his shoulder, pushing down and shattering his shoulder blade while reaching toward Eren's titanic throat. All while he thrashed and struggled to escape, trying to use techniques but to no avail as his body was so broken and tired.

The exposed ribs were snapping in half, one by one, until one whole side of his body collapsed all while he clawed and thrashed against the heel of Reiner.

_FIGHT_

_FIGHT_

_FIGHT_

That voice was hypnotic, slowly encouraging him, showing him, spurring him on. Telling him to win, win by any means, to use weapons, even if it breaks him in the process. To defeat his enemies and claim victory.

_KILL _

_KILL_

_KILL THEM AAALLLLLLLLLLL_

_No mercy. _

_No remorse _

The sweet words of violence consumed him and he slowly was consumed by roaring anger and violence. He stopped thinking, he acted upon instinct, or rather, upon the will of the voice in his head, he gripped a protruding rib and as his opponent closed in, he pulled out the huge bone and rammed it into the other shifters abdomen where his armour was weakest, over and over again until his body gave out and he stumbled backwards, holding onto his wounds with the one good arm.

This was for the pain every titan had ever caused him, that had made him lay awake at night shivering from nightmares and bad dreams. They had burned the vivid memories into his skull, visions of his friends and his mother being eaten, devoured and consumed. He had prayed to anything, a god, a deity, even the fucking walls once to give him the strength to annihilate all of the titans. To rid the world of these godforsaken creatures, rid the world of them once and for all. He had no other purpose, nothing in him felt love or compassion at this moment, all he felt was the bloodlust and the pure hatred towards these disgusting creatures that had taken his world and torn it to pieces.

Consequences be damned he would kill them all or he would be torn into pieces and ripped in half trying, all of the nobles ad lords and the king, all of their pointless bickering and politics, all of their insignificant drama and power meant nothing to him anymore. They could all argue and squabble over the lack of meat and gold. He would save humanity the only way he knew how:

_**He would fight**_

She crept up the stairs and quietly as she could possibly manage given that they were made of stone. Not one soldier in sight. Nobody to be seen. But you could never be too cautious, especially when she was in hostile territory. This castle was filled with dangers, hopefully she didn't run into that short man. Just thinking about him made her shudder. Reuniting with him would not be pleasant.

Eventually she reached the top of the staircase where there was a metal bar door left wide open, again. Why was it so quiet? Where was everybody? And why are all the doors unlocked?

No, there is no time to worry about this. All of this is an opportunity to escape and attempt to capture him again. But again that meant fighting him. And that was definitely not on her to do list. She searched the courtyard for a barracks. Walking up and down until she found a long rectangular shaped building with a stables on the side with a "barracks" sign above the door. She scoured the storage units and cabinets, every crate that she could see, hoping for some kind of 3D gear. Anything that could help her disappear and get over the walls and home, maybe with that stupid Yeager boy tied up in a little present to deliver to the elders.

Oh, how nice it would be to just simply take him and run. But he has the fighting spirit of an ox, and the temperament too. Finally she found some gear hidden away at the back of an old storage cupboard, quickly she adjusted the straps and tightened the belts filled the gas and then she set of towards the wall.


	5. Chapter 5

Eren. Just over that wall. Ever so close, just within her grasp. But she would have to act quickly, the scouting legion would doubtlessly be a whole less courteous if they re-captured her. But she couldn't formulate a plan if she wasn't able to see around her. Meaning she would have to risk being found for a small chance of getting over the walls to plot a master plan.

Peeking over the wall, she surveyed her surroundings and found that to the right, there were no members of the scouting legion. Slowly, she edged along the wall. Fearing that using her 3D gear would make too much noise. Once she got to an appropriate position she climbed up on the wall and dashed behind a cannon on the edge of the great stone structure.

Peering over the edge of the wall she was shocked to see Bert's form on the floor, completely unmoving. And Reiner's body was pinned to the ground via a very makeshift stake that looked suspiciously like a bone. Her analysis proved correct as the bone began to steam just like a titan's would. He tried to struggle and grip the bone but Eren stopped on his face and then with his other foot stomped the arm down, then he stomped again and again and again until the arm was a completely mangled mess of blood and gore and the final titan left standing was Eren.

There wasn't anybody else that it could have been. That long black hair, dashed in scalding blood that slowly evaporated form his skin. Gashes and wounds covered his body, yet he still stood tall and proud like a warrior. And his eyes were filled with that never ending rage, hate and malice that would always be there for as long as there was some kind of an enemy. He would have made a good warrior for her people, that's what they looked for. A man who would kill his enemies no matter the cost. She did that too, but apparently women aren't warriors and it annoyed her to no end that no matter how many boys she could break in combat (older than her none the less) she was considered weaker. Hell, Eren was one of the only people to ever actually beat her in combat and that was mostly because he was mostly insane.

Snapping back to the real world she looked toward the scene below and found that Eren was now taking his sweet time to release some pent up aggression via stomping on each of Reiner's limbs, and each bone could be heard breaking with a sickening crunch. A grin was slowly spreading across his face, his expression slowly filling with the joy of a newfound hobby. Looking back toward the legion, she could see a short man just sitting on the edge of the wall with one foot dangling over the edge and the other placed on the wall with his hands either side of him. Watching on as if he were watching a brick wall, he showed no interest or reaction. Another woman with glasses and a messy hairdo was talking to her fellow companions in a giddy and hyperactive manner. Once she was finished they all saluted and all dived off the wall back toward the base. Leaving the short man and the woman alone on the wall.

Her mind drifted back to the task at hand, the golden opportunity that had presented itself to her on a platter, the chance to surprise the legion and Eren, take him and go. Be free of the worries for her father, of this godforsaken country and the snobby nobles, the pointless sacrifice. All of it would be behind her, even her companions….

Was it worth it? She had tried not to, but she couldn't help it, she cared for them. They had affected her, their pointless sacrifice, the constant in their lives being the hope of seeing the outside. Being free. The most effective torture was hope after all, and in the end would it ever be worth it? They lay down their lives in the name of hope, and she had grown to sympathise, after all, it was never their fault to live like this.

But how did she get Eren? He was clearly in 'berserker' mode, and that meant that he probably wouldn't respond to a regular calm down and with the short man above watching, she was in even more peril, she could remember him and quite frankly he was terrifying in his own right. The woman on the other hand was just a straight up psycho, but a psycho with two extremely sharp swords. It all began coming back now, they were some of the infamous captains of the scouting legion. Hanji, the mad scientist obsessed with Titans. And captain Levi, the most dangerous man in the world from her point of view. Could she subdue Eren before those two could kill her, or would Eren kill her on his own by tearing her to pieces? He would probably hunt her down and kill her the second he got the scent of her. He had already did it once and he was missing half of his limbs and most of his face. So what about now? He was already mostly healed around his ribs and the other gashes has completely sealed back up. If fought him, he would be at full strength, while she would be lucky to even transform in the current state of fatigue she was subjected to.

Then an idea came that would probably get her killed or severely injured, but it was the only one that lowered her chances of death or torture significantly. But what else could she do? If Eren wanted to kill her still then he would chase her to the end of the earth. And what could the two captains do if Eren ran away and into open ground and titan territory. She would just have to play a game of chase, and hope that her intended target took the bait. Maybe Reneir and Bert would use their brains for once and escape in the madness. She just had to jump off of the wall and transform. It wasn't that hard right? She looked toward her ring...wait, where was her ring? She always had that ring on her, it was her only possession of her mother she had. Fuck, fuck, fuck and fuck it again. The only thing she had of her mother, the only thing. The only reminder. But where was it? She checked every pocket before finding it in her jackets lapel, the blade seemed broken and misshapen. But how did it get there? She used it to transform.

She would have to transform some other way. Remembering that she had 3D gear with her she unsheathed the blade slightly and prepared to drop off the edge of the wall and onto the earth below. Placing her thumb on one side of the blade and her finger on the other side and preparing to make the cut. She stepped over the edge.

That kid would honestly be the death of him, he had the attention span of a goldfish and the temper of an ox. Or in laymen terms: he was a complete and total fucking idiot. He couldn't have just waited for a fucking order, or some back up. But nooooo, Yeager boy had to be a suicidal bastard. God that kid was gonna do some serious punishment if he lived. And if he died he would bring him alive just to slap the shit out of him and possibly kill him again.

On the plus side, he had effectively defeated humanities greatest threats. Now though the fights had more or less turned into full blown torture, not that Levi would stop it. After all it was either he gets the aggression out now, or be in a little fit for the rest of...well, forever. So he just sat on the wall and watched the rather gruesome show below. At least the colossal one had become immobile. Actually now he thought about it, the show was getting extremely boring and he really needed to go sort out all the men and women below to get up this wall.

"Oi Hanji, I'm going to go organise some of the fuckwits below. You okay to watch Yeager boy?" It wasn't really a request because he had already stood up and walked to the opposite side of the wall and stepped over the edge as the last syllable had left his mouth. God this day couldn't get any worse.

All alone at last! Now she could study titan Eren and the one he had brought her! Maybe she could get close toward the other titans and get samples. The armour on the one Eren was fighting didn't seem to vaporise. This could mean that they could make new blades, better wall reinforcements, stronger machines and cables for 3D gear or, or, or... She began giggling manically in excitement.

"Oh I'll be fine" she replied to nobody in particularly in a very bubbly manner. She shot a wire into the wall and stepped over the edge. Slowly letting the wire stretch out until she was half way down the wall. Then shot the other wire into the wall and released the next one. She walked down and found that imbedded in the wall were pieces of the armour. She pulled out her small satchel and began placing the pieces into the bag. Studying its properties and abilities would be like heaven on earth but that had to wait for when she got back to base.

I must give titan Eren a treat when we get back to base she thought absent mindedly. She couldn't thank him enough. If only she had a sample of that crystal as well, then she would have to give titan Eren a bigger room. At least none of the wall seemed unfixable so that's was a...

CCCCRRRRRRAAAASSSSSHHHHHHHH

She had waited for the woman to become distracted by the wall and for the short man to come back. Well she was in luck because he didn't return straight away so she jumped off and just before she hit the ground, slit the gap between her thumb and forefinger. Feeling the sinew and danger surround her. Forming the crystal around her feet and knees, she collided with the ground. The impact thundered through the air, she could see the woman had been blown back by the lightning that had struck. That meant everyone around her and that included the scouting legion heard that and that she would have to act quickly to escape. Looking to her left as the smoke cleared her eyes locked onto the burning green ones of Eren.

Everything slowed down as she was pinned in place by those piercing green eyes. He didn't move, like a tiger stalking its prey, watching and waiting for the proper moment to strike. And she was like the small helpless deer in his sights. He couldn't speak words but his eyes spoke a thousand words and they all described the horror that he would unleash on her. The pain that he wanted to inflict on her, the carnage and devastation was forever going on. His eyes actually looked like they were on fire, but that was impossible. It wasn't as if he were a demon, although he could easily pass for one.

She felt frozen to the spot under his careful scrutiny. She immediately regretted this decision when she felt the burning gathered in him rise. He let out a long scream that something a devil would let out. Letting go of Reiner's mangled arm that he was holding, he stepped forward with intent. His foot landed in a small stream and the water actually steamed away. His body heat must have been rising because the area where he now stood still was scalded, and still he had that malicious look in his eyes. Making her feel stupider and stupider for deciding to come down here.

He was still studying her, slowly balling his fists. The nails had begun to draw blood from his palm and it dripped from his knuckles and made his hands seem as if they were burning, if she weren't in this situation she would find it ironic that his eyes and fists were seemingly on fire. His neck cracked suddenly, his head at a diagonal angle. Crack, now it was the opposite side. All the time he never blinked, or broke eye contact, almost like he was loosening up for a fight. Always watching, always studying, and always waiting. She suddenly felt very cold, wanting to get out of the world before he tore it apart all around her.

She took a step back, and he took one forward. She took one back, he took one forward. Back, forward. She slowly backed up until she was at least 20 meters from the wall, then stopped and so did he. Then came the shivers again, that uncomfortableness that came when he was staring at her. He looked like he was enjoying the sight as well, sniffing the air like he could smell her fear. And he grinned. Then she suddenly decided when she saw the legion standing atop the wall that she should run. And so she did, turning and running away as quickly as she could, and it wasn't long before she heard Eren running after her. Turning her head for a brief second, she was horrified to find that he was gaining on her so she sprinted, as fast and hard as she could off toward the huge forest. Hoping that she would be able to just lose him, fuck trying to fight him. He would do what he did last time. She just wanted to cry from fear, why couldn't he just... why? Just… why?!

Dashing through fields after fields, she cut through a small town hoping his larger frame would struggle to get around the buildings. But her efforts proved pointless because he just barrelled through one building and managed to keep pace with her for most of the way anyway. How a titan that large could be so agile was beyond her, another way Eren could surprise the world.

She barely made it into the trees before he leaped, fist raised and ready to strike her down but he only just missed her by a fraction. Instead his fist collided with a tree and smashed the trunk. Sending thousands of splinters in the air like bullets. The colossal tree collapsed and he looked up straight away and began his sprint again. She found a clearing and dashed across it hoping to get to the safety of the trees on the other side. But luck wasn't on her side right now because she felt him suddenly grip onto her arm and pull her back. Hard.

Her arm felt like it had been pulled out of place. She turned to face him to find a fist colliding with her face that sent her flying to the ground. Her face was pressed right into the dirt and before she could catch her breath he grabbed her hair and pulled her up. Holding her by her hair. She quickly kicked him in his stomach and he dropped her to the ground. She tried to catch her breath. Titan and real body, but to no luck. Her eyes now had freely flowing tears running out of them and down her cheeks (her titan and real body) she just wanted to curl up small and hide away.

No more fighting, not with him. He screamed long and loud. She just closed her eyes and tried to remember home and the people she loved, her friends and family. The family she couldn't save, the friends she betrayed, the ones who hated her and all that she stood for. But it was hard to remember all of those loved ones when one was about to kill her. She rolled to face him as he leaped at her letting out a bloodcurdling scream of anguish and his desire for carnage, clutching her eyes she awaited her torturous death...

PLEASE LIKE AND PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW ITS ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE FEEDBACK (and I really like constructive criticism)


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6.

He leaped through the air and landed above her and he...he... Nothing. Nothing happened, he didn't strike her. He didn't tear her apart. Didn't do anything at all. He stood above her, like the great statues of her village which were carved into the rock, figures of old and new. It all hade one thing in common- they were all great warriors.

Slowly she dared to open her eyes as small droplets of rain dashed her face, becoming more and more prominent until a full blown downpour began. Those flaming eyes were right above her, still unblinking. But he wasn't staring at her like he was before, not with anger and malice. But it almost looked like curiosity. Her fear was still there though, he was Eren and that meant that he had a hair trigger temper. Then a hand slowly came up to her face, its thumb gently wiping away the tear. It felt like something that a lover would do. He studied the liquid on his thumb before using his forefinger to wipe the tears of the other eye away. Then he slowly ran his hand across the side of her head, until his fingertips were only just touching her chin. He slowly tilted her head up and shook his head before the impossible happened.

"Nooooooooo" he said, his mouth was slightly ajar but he didn't look like he spoke. And it didn't really sound like he had either. The whisper was too soft and too quiet for a titan to have said it and just too loving to be him... right? All of a sudden the same hand balled into a fist and he smacked himself in the face. He shook his head and screamed like he was frustrated at what he just did before standing and turning to a nearby tree, which he proceeded to use as a makeshift punching bag. Hammering it until the gigantic trunk snapped sending splinters through the air at speeds fast enough to kill a man. Before he collapsed as the sky opened up and it began to rain. He sank to his knees and then she watched the fire in his eyes snuff out and the nape begin to bulge. He ripped himself free of his form, and slowly made his way down using his blades like ice picks in the flesh. She just closed her eyes and let the darkness consume her.

He hit the ground with a thud, his boots landing in a puddle of muddy water. Studying his surroundings form his current point of view he assessed that this clearing was much, much larger than first perceived. It was beginning to get dark, night was rapidly approaching and he needed to make some kind of camp as he couldn't navigate back to the walls from here in the dead of night.

Then he remembered that he had company, turning toward the steaming pile of the titan carcass he remembered the presence of Annie. Letting out a long breath he began his walk toward the gently steaming carcass. Luckily she was turned onto her side so he was able to easily cut at her nape. He peered inside the hole and froze to the spot. The sudden realisation that he was seeing Annie. Not the female titan, not the frozen crystal prison. Just a girl called Annie with a love for combat, who peacefully slept inside the body of a rapidly decaying giant, and she was right there.

He had waited for this for what felt like forever, and now she was right in front of him. And she still looked the same as she did in the crystal, but that could have had something due to the fact she was, from what he could tell, passed out, which he was very glad of as having a conversation with her right now would be a great deal more than awkward.

So he gently put his hands under her arms and around her back and began to pull her out of the fleshy cocoon. Once she was free he picked her up bridal style and walked back a tree that had collapsed at the edge of the clearing. Placing her down so she rested against the trunk he set to work building a shelter. He used his blades to cut down smaller trees and branches. And propped them up against the trunk of the tree by the roots so that the uprooted base of the tree was used as a back wall. He then proceeded to use branches and leaves from the surrounding area as insulation for a roof. Once the shelter was considered adequate, he picked Annie up bridal style once again and carried her over to the shelter and placed her down in the back corner, and then walked off to find some kind of fire wood.

Finding some kind of dry fuel was near enough impossible due to the constant downpour. Eventually he managed to find some stray sticks and branches that were all underneath a rocky outcrop. Carrying them back to the camp underneath his scouting legion cloak to keep them dry and dumping the pile of wood against the back 'wall' of the makeshift shelter and sorted through the pile picking out the small twigs and placing them in a pile at the entrance of the shelter.

Every now and again he would shave down the sticks into kindling and add them to the pile. Then, pulling out a small knife he always kept handy, he pulled out his wire and placed the blade against it not to cut it though. Retracting the wire, the friction made sparks, not one of them caused the kindling to catch. He repeated the process over and over until eventually the small flakes of wood caught alight, slowly and carefully, he reared the fire up, adding bigger and bigger sticks until the fire had created a heat that would make his shelter a relatively comfortable place to spend the night.

He turned toward his companion and actually took some time to examine her. Not like he used to in his trainee days and not like when she was in the crystal. But really look at her, she'd probably wake up and be terrified of him. It's not like he always meant to freak out when he transformed, it's just he relied on his baser instincts. Losing rational thoughts and control was easy. Much harder was keeping his thoughts level and calm, that was the worst thing about it, all that power gets to you. You feel invincible and when mixed with his mind set, everything just becomes a blur with brief moments of clarity.

Looking at her now though, the resounding question returned. Most people would want to know why. But he just wanted to talk to her: freak to freak. And ask was the loneliness worth it? Was trying to kill everyone worth pushing everyone away? He could understand why she would feel that way, alone. He felt it every time he slept in the basement. Every time someone stared at him and called him a titan. Freak. Monster.

Everyone would stare at him often enough, especially as you got further in the walls. Is that how she felt? Just like him. That was actually not new to him. He had come to this realisation in his cell the day he defeated her and saw her crying. It probably wasn't but he imagined she was crying for two reasons: one) she wanted to go home as she had told him once while sparring in training corps. Two) she felt betrayed by another shifter who she was so similar to.

He knew which one was the most likely, but still...it was nice to imagine someone cared for him other that Mikasa and Armin enough to actually cry. Most people just seen him as a deranged lunatic who wanted to kill the titans. Then that turned into deranged lunatic who wants to kill titans but is actually a titan himself. How ironic could life be? When he was left to guard her crystal, most times he would just talk to himself in hopes that he could find an answer. There wasn't an answer for what he spoke about though. He mostly just wanted somebody to understand him. She would, because she was lonely like him. But nobody would listen if he talked about her and about being a titan. Here he was thinking the only thing they had in common was the love of a good fight, but it was more than that.

She began to shuffle next to him, squirming next to him. He was brought back to reality by her ramblings in her sleep. Probably a bad dream he though.

"Dad..." She mumbled while rocking back and forth. He had to do something right? It wasn't like his fits, but it seemed like she was upset. So he gingerly touched her shoulder and rubbed it slightly in a comforting manner before shaking her gently. Trying to rouse her from her sleep.

"Please dad..." She was becoming a little more frantic now, her breaths becoming quicker with every rock. Back and forth. Back and forth. She was clearly having a nightmare, so he moved so he was crouched just next to her and placed his hands on each of her shoulders and just gently shook her again.

"Please!..." She said and shot up and clutched right onto his arm within seconds. He froze right to the spot, not moving at all. Did she know what she was doing? If she did, would she snap his arm in half? Probably, after all it was Annie. Realising she was probably distraught over what sounded like a family issue (which he could sympathise with massively) he leaned back over her and placed his hand on her back. Why was he even doing this? He was never the touchy type. And she was his enemy. He barely even knew anything about her other than the fact that she was truly happy when sparring.

_Then why do you consider her one of your closet friends?_

Was that even his own voice in his head?

Remembering his place and trying to give her some space. He slowly and ever so slightly pulled his arm out from her tight grasp, knowing she wasn't the talkative type he stood and turned to the fire to add one of the larger logs. Not paying attention to the girl behind him who was probably crying or at least upset to some degree. But when men were considered stupid when it came to a woman's feelings, well Eren made them all appear like they were the best scientists in the walls who could pioneer the human race in technology. He was not good at being sensitive, not to say he wasn't smart or had some kind of sensitivity to him. He just really didn't know what to say half of the time.

Taking a deep breath he turned around, looking toward the girl that everyone hated.

"Annie..."

She had come back! Captain Levi hadn't felt this furious in years, his one chance to get revenge on the bitch and she had the audacity to run! By the walls he really needed a drink.

"Captain? Should we ready the horses for pursuit?"

Taking a look into the sky and toward the crimson setting sun, he turned toward the recruit. "No, it's getting late, rain is on the way and they are in titan country somewhere. We can't hunt them down without an expedition sized operation. "

"What? We aren't going after them!? We have to go!" Aaahhhh, Mikasa. He had almost forgotten about her.

"No" he stated, matter 'o' factly. "We are not, so I would suggest that you return to base with everybody and rest. Besides, it looks as if it's about to rain all night long"

"But Eren is out there! With her!"

"And what?! Where are they between here and wall Maria?! They could be half way to the fucking wall already"

"But..."

"Mikasa, he is right. We are wasting resources and effort going now" Armin said from behind her. Well at least somebody had a brain around here.

"Armin, stay out of this!" She growled, ever resilient.

"Mikasa just think with your head. We can wait and go tomorrow. In numbers, we will vastly increase our range of search and out effectiveness at the task in hand."

To be blatantly honest Levi had to give it to the kid: he would put his loyalties and friendships aside in replace for cold, hard facts and plans.

"Armin..."

"Mikasa, it's about seven o'clock now, and if we go to rest now and prepare for an expedition tomorrow we will be out of the walls by ten o'clock. That's only fifteen hours of preparation to be ready to do what you have to so that we can require Eren" And manipulative apparently.

"Cmon brats, it will get cold soon, and it's about to rain. And I will kill you for making me stand out in the rain unnecessarily" He spoke while slowly edging toward the walls edge. The rest of the soldiers followed in suit, all with solemn moods. He'd kill that girl, if it's the last thing he would ever fucking do.

"Eren..?" She faintly whispered.

"Yeah Annie, it's me" he gave back.

She gazed at him, and he still looked like the same boy she had trained with. Maybe a little more filled out. Not like Reiner, definitely more lean. But he was definitely bigger than the last time she had seen him.

She snorted at this, she was dead. In no way, ever, was she checking out Eren 'suicidal bastard', fucking, Yeager. He also wouldn't be kind to her, he would be trying to tear her to pieces. She just continued to stare at him like he was a bizarre creature she had never seen before.

"What's so funny? Do I really look that bad?" He said, very suddenly.

"So is this what it's like after death?"

"Erm, Annie..."

"Well if I'm dead then I guess nothing matters anymore. No walls to worry about. No titans to eat me. No people to ridicule me."

"Annie you're not dead"

"Of course I am! If this were real you would be trying to tear my head off of my shoulders. Gouge my eyes out. Tear my limbs off." She explained.

Did she really think of me like that? Like a monster?

_Hehe, to some degree that was correct_. A sinister voice called out in the back of his head. What was that? Those thoughts were not his own and yet, they were.

That really shouldn't have surprised him, as he really would have did those things to her had she not cried. If she hadn't let those fatal tears out, she would have probably be covering the clearing right now. Pieces of her scattered across the opening. But now he had his thoughts under control, he really didn't have any homicidal thought on his mind. After all, she was still his friend and mentor, however horrible some of her decisions were.

"No Annie, I'm not going to hurt you. But this isn't a dream either, nothing will happen to you right now. I promise" He really meant it, he didn't want to hurt her right now. But he sadly couldn't speak for his 'alter ego'

"Yes you will, everyone in the world will hurt somebody at some point" she replied very sinisterly.

"You can't just treat the world like your enemy. Not everyone will try to hurt you."

"That's exactly what I'll do" she replied.

"Annie, I could have killed you all while you slept. And I could be trying right now. Does that not prove that I don't completely hate you? That I won't hurt you."

"You will though"

Eren couldn't think of a response for that, he promised that he would do lots of things. But many of them never turned out well, he said he wouldn't leave his mom. Promised he would be safe in Trost to Mikasa, which ended with him being eaten. This lead him to believe that he wasn't the most reliable at keeping promises, no matter how hard he tried.

"Annie, I'm not going to harm you. We are just going to spend the night here. Then I'll take you back" That was the only thing that he could say, he didn't have a reply that could satisfy her paranoid statement about the world. She really must have been dealt some bad cards to think that way about the world.

"I'm not going back" she returned.

"I know you don't want to return, but I have to take you back" This time he was pleading, he really wanted her to return.

"I will die in the first week of being back there and you know it" Shit. He hadn't thought of the people back at the walls who would happily carve her to pieces. Captain Levi. He knew that he would half Annie with his sword the second he saw her, after all Petra was still in the infirmary, the rest of his former squad dead.

"Tell me I won't be flayed, hung, tortured, decapitated, executed or experimented on." She insisted.

"I..."

"You can't because you know it's true. So I won't be coming back with you."

"So you'll return to your home?" He really didn't like the idea that she would go forever but that's another reason to fight the titans, see Annie. Maybe he could know why? Why the walls? Why come for him?

"No, I won't" This puzzled Eren because that meant she would live alone in neither the walls nor her home. Did she not wish to return? Or did she not have a home?

"I can't go back, but I can't go with you. If I do either, the results will be ridicule or death. Maybe both"

"Annie that doesn't make any sense." He stated, his confusion rising. "Why would they turn you away?"

"It's because I FUCKING FAILED!" She screamed. "THE WALLS ARE STILL STANDING AND IM YOUR CAPTIVE INSTEAD OF THE OTHER WAY AROUND!"

"What?" He asked, in desperate need of clarification. An overwhelming sense of curiosity of the outside world washed over him, his hunger for knowledge of the unknown that rivalled even Armin's was taking over and he was no longer in control. "What do you mean?" He asked again.

"I can't go home without you..." she whimpered, leaving the impression of a wounded animal that had given up on life. "Without you I have failed my mission and I can't shame my family like that, to have a failure like this pinned on my family, my father."

He couldn't speak, the only sound was the rain, pitter pattering on the makeshift roof that leaked every now and then. In a way the sound relaxed him, but in another way, it overloaded his senses and made him feel overwhelmed. She was in a position that she had no way out of and yet he felt like the one who was a prisoner. Suddenly he had an epiphany.

"You do care about something, I knew you weren't as cold hearted as you seem"

"And what's that?" She responded, but it seemed more out of necessity that from wanting to carry on an actual conversation.

"You care about your family, you can deny it if you wish, but you do."

"You continue to surprise me Eren"

"You're not from the walls Annie, what's it like?

"Out of the walls?" She responded.

"Yeah, out there..." he trailed off. Staring up toward the roof of the shelter, lost in his own vivid and creative imagination of mountains and fresh air and true freedom.

"It's...it's... free"

That word sent shivers up his spine; free. He simply couldn't fathom not living in the walls like cattle, his whole life he had been brought up to believe that there was nothing for people outside of the walls but death and pointless sacrifice. The sad realisation was that they just didn't want people to try to leave the walls.

"Free... what does that look like?"

She squinted her eyes in concentration, trying to fathom what he meant. Then again he had never lived anywhere but the walls so the concept was probably unthinkable to him.

"For me, freedom looks like home, the mountains and rolling hills, the lakes and my people" she explained absentmindedly, her thoughts slowly drifting off to another place. One of peace and no troubles, a calm place where nobody wanted her head and her father was safe and by her side. Her mother still with her. Maybe even a small family….

Simple, he liked it. Quiet and peaceful, the world all around, able to be explored at a whim. Her idea was a beautifully simple one. It was simply home to her, but he had no home. He imagined freedom as something else, something that all of humanity deserved, but instead they never had it. He had decided that he would have a house outside the walls, surrounded by clean air and his comraids would all have small cabins nearby.

"I think freedom is living off in a cabin. Surrounded by loved ones, friends near a... shit what's it called? Octain? Oceen? No..."

"Ocean"

"Yeah; an ocean"

He was jealous, she could tell. All he ever wanted was to do was explore what she had taken for granted her whole life. She despised the walls just as much as him, the tyranny and confinement was horrid and claustrophobic, the air was even more clammy and festered in her lungs, like a smog built up around a factory. But outside, it was clean and there was so much freedom in the air, it was unexplainable, but it was so different. The walls were cursed for a reason, and the most effective way to torture those within is to use the illusion of hope…

They both slowly drifted off to sleep, one imagining the ocean. The other remembering it for what she briefly saw.


End file.
